Netherlands Implements Energy Efficient Lighting Proposal

Given the developments in the lighting sector, Netherlands Minister Jacqueline Cramer of Spatial Planning and the Environment expects her country to switch to energy-efficient lighting during this government's term of office.

The Minister is taking steps to ensure that the proposals regarding stricter energy regulations put forth by the European Commission within the framework of the Ecodesign Directive will lead to a phase-out of incandescent light bulbs on the European market. Directive 2005/32/EC on the eco-design of Energy-using Products, such as electrical and electronic devices or heating equipment, provides coherent EU-wide rules for eco-design and ensure that disparities among national regulations do not become obstacles to intra-EU trade. The Directive does not introduce directly binding requirements for specific products, but does define conditions and criteria for setting, through subsequent implementing measures, requirements regarding environmentally relevant product characteristics and allows them to be improved quickly and efficiently.

The Dutch government wants to impose tighter restrictions than the ones agreed at EU level. Tighter restrictions will also increase the compliance and enforcement of energy-saving lighting techniques. The minister is using the lighting taskforce as a platform for making agreements with market parties and public bodies to facilitate the switch to the most energy-efficient lighting during this government's term of office, which is in her view a realistic goal, given the aims of the market parties. The Minister wants to achieve the routine use of low-energy light bulbs and LEDs in households, businesses and government buildings, as well as on streets during this term.

Each incandescent light bulb that is replaced by a low-energy light bulb means a saving of 10 euros annually. LEDs save consumers even more and use 90 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs. As early as May of this year, Minister Cramer said she wanted to eliminate the use of energy-guzzling light bulbs and considered introducing a sales ban. However according to the Minister, both developments in the lighting sector and the EU objectives render a sales ban unnecessary.